Halo:Shadowfall
by bpounciecarrjwu
Summary: Follow the raise and fall of Headhunter team Misfit during the early years of the war. Note: This is series ( I hope) that will be separated into three arcs. Any feedback/criticism is welcome!
1. Chapter 1

Halo: Shadowfall

Prologue

Year:2537

Location: Leonis Minoris system

"Mommy! Mommy!"

A young boy cried in the middle of an abandon street. All he could hear was gunfire and screams, the smell of smoke and plasma filled the air. The boy continue to wonder his war ravaged town. He did not hear the e-vac alarms on the TV or see the usual caravans of United Nation Space Command (U.N.S.C) forces coming and escorting civilians into bunkers like he practice in school from time to time. No, all he heard was ,'what about the boy?,' leave him, his mother left him anyways.' Was it true? Did his very own mother abandon him in the streets to fend off the monsters we humans call the Covenant? He doesn't know, and know he has do two thing: find evac center and survive or die trying. He quickened his paces, check every street corner for monsters. Finally, he spots a parked M12 Warthog behind several burnt cars.

"Hey! Hey!" he was yelling at the top of his lungs. He then saw a green figure turns its body and point a gun at him. The boy froze as he realized the figure was an U.N.S.C. Marine.

"Did anything follow you kid?" the marine ask.

"what?"

Did_ anything_ follow you, like a large insect."

"No sir."

"good, get in, there a drop-ship nearby."

The boy did not show his happiness of being saved. The ride to the drop-ship seem long and almost serene. The gunfire dead down, the smell of smoke and plasma still cover the air. Finally, at the end of the road they were on there was a D77-TC Pelican.

The Pelican open it drop doors and the boy ran inside. The marine walk past him and into the cockpit.

"Anymore survivors?" The marine asked.

"You're my last pick up," the pilot answer," We got evac orders."

The marine cursed. The boy seated in one of the troop bay seat, listening to their conversation. Was he the only survivor? In this whole city? The boy began to cry at the thought. His mother was dead. His family gone, and he was alone in this crazy war.

"Hey, don't cry." The marine said, returning to the boy.

The boy look up at the marine and saw his face. A long thin mark across his right eye. The marine look no older than 30 yet has possible fought the monsters before. He fought and survive.

"I'll fight one day and survive." The boy said. The marine made a smile. The Pelican began to move and lift up. The boy fell to sleep on the long ride to the one of ships orbiting the planet. The loud cluck of the drop doors opening wakes the boy up.

"Here." The marine offer his hand. The boy grab the man hand and walk out into a lobby with children and a group of men in black suits.

"What is this?" The boy asked.

"A daycare center," The marine said avoiding eye contact," You said you want to fight?"

The boy nodded his head. The marine release his hand and disappear into another crowd of people. The boy chase after the marine until someone grab him.

"What your name?" The person asked

"Darien." The boy replied.

"A little boy told someone he want to fight."

Darien look up at the person, a man in a black suit and sunglasses. Finally understanding the situation before him, these children were in same place as him. No home, no where to run to, and all that left for them is to fight back or die on another colony. No, I can't die here, Darien said to himself, I want to fight.

"I want to fight." Darien said in most serious tone he could muster. The suit nodded and took him into a smaller room with less children. Darien look around to see same kind of determination wore by kids. The suit step back into the larger lobby, came back a few minutes later with another suit. They began to escort the children into a shuttle, then a UNSC frigate. The children were all march into large empty area. Marines watch them from a walkway above the area, the suits began a series of test, and some of children started talking to one another. Darien lay back against a crate, trying to get some rest.

"Hi." Said a girl from out of no where.

"H-Hello." Darien was surprise from greeting of unknown girl.

"Asra." She said with a big smile, with some missing teeth in her mouth.

"Darien."

"Dare what?'

"Dare-ren." having to pronounce his name.

"Can I just call you Dare?"

"Sure."

Darien took a look at the girl. He guess she was a year older than him, wore a black t-shirt with shorts. Her skin was reddish, black hair, and her eyes were green. Compare to his light brown skin tone and Afro.

"Do you know what their doing?" Asra asked, pointing at the suits.

"Don't know, don't care." Darien answered. Asra then puff up her face. Tieven look at her and sigh.

"If I had to guess,"He said," their pairing us up or something."

"Oh if that the case," She turn around and face Darien," What to be my teammate?"

Tieven smile and offer a handshake, which Asra accepted.

A suit called Asra and she left. She did not return when her test was done, same with all the children. One by one, once test was done, they left the area and was escort by marines somewhere else. When time came for Darien's test, he answers the questions the best he could, even the questions he didn't really understand. Darien was escort out the area and into the cryo-sleep chambers. Darien step into his chamber, as the frigate jump into slipspace.

Chapter 1: Training

Year: 2537

Location: Zeta Doradus system, Camp Currahee, Onyx

This was the first time Darien experience cryo-sleep, puking out what little you had in your stomach and being rush out by marines into bright sunlight. He could see a tall marine, checking all the children and began headcount.

"Look at you, all of you," The marine voice boom load and hard," orphans, your homes are gone. Darkness threaten humanity, and all you piss ants can do is cry."

Some of the children began to mutter until the marine open his mouth again.

"This is your home now, you all are now brothers and sisters in arms! The UNSC, no humankind, need you to fight for her, fight for Earth, and bring death to all those who threaten her. You are soldiers now, you are now fighting to save your brothers, your sisters, and everyone here."

The children began to cheer, some even started chanting death to the monsters! Death to the Covenant!

The marine wave his hand and the chanting stop. He scan every kid, as if trying to determine which will die and who will survive. He look up into the sky and said something. Finally, his eyes return to the children.

" My name is Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez, your training begins within the next hours."

The children were march into a mess hall, only offering bread, water, and crackers. Darien sat at table on far end of the hall. He hear the crash of a second tray right next to him.

"Hi Dare!" Asra said.

"Oh it's you."

"What you mean _oh it's you?_"

"Exactly what it sound like."

Asra puff up her face and eat her bread. Darien sighed, this was not the time to argue.

"Oh it's you, is that the kind of greeting you give to family?"

"What?"

"What Senior Chief whatever Mendez said," She said, with her mouth full,"We're all brother and sisters now."

Darien thought about Mendez words; their were all orphans of the same conflict. They share a bond now.

"You're right, we're brothers and sisters now." Darien said.

Asra gulp down her water and last bit of bread. "And team mates."

"If they allow us."

Asra shrugged," They will."

A load bell ringed, marines poured in, rushing the children outside. Mendez order them to run 12 laps around the base. Anyone who walks or slow down will make them run another five laps. In total after what seem eternity while in reality only six hours and 22 laps later, night and rest finally came to the children. Mendez began to call out those who walk, slow down, and simple stop after the three laps.

"Darien!" Mendez yelled. Darien looked at him and said nothing. He ran at full speed, and did all 22 laps. What could Mendez fault him for?

"Lap 16, Douglas felt right next to you," Mendez walked closer to Tieven,"Why didn't you stop?"

"I um..."

" 'I um' is not an answer soldier, because of your failure to help a comrade, everyone will run additional five laps." many began to moan, other began to blame those who made them run more laps. A full day pass before the first day of training was done. They would only get three hours of sleep before the next training section.

Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and each training section became more advance as time went on. For Darien, he lost count on much time was spent on the training fields as well as classroom sections with the A.I. Deep Winter. One day, a black suit, most likely ONI, came up to Darien after weight training. The spook took Darien into a small room, Mendez was standing by a table.

"Sir, what going on?" Darien asked Mendez.

"I'm pulling you from regular training."

"What?" Darien's heart sank.

"I mean is these men wish to offer you a different career path."

Tieven didn't understand, but took a seat as well as the black suit.

"Starting today, you'll be paired with a partner and being with the process." The black suit voice was cold as ice.

The suit gave Darien a series of open-end questions, Darien answer within the best of his ability. The suit check his datapad and closed it.

"Take this boy to Point Hathaway." The suit said to Mendez and left the room. Mendez nodded and motion Darien to follow him.

"I'm to no longer be trained sir?" Darien asked

"Not this training, those men have a more important role for you."

Darien follow Mendez to his personal Warthog and left the base. They drove deep into the forest and reach their destination by nightfall. In was a small fenced-off camp with armored men and checkpoints. Inside was group of children, Darien could see Asra in the group. As Mendez and Darien left the warthog and started to walk to the group.

"You're on your own." Mendez said before turning and leaving.

"Dare!" Asra yelled and ran towards Darien. She gave him a hug. How long she been here? What is this place?

"Hello!" A voice announce, there was a stage in the middle of the camp. A man with bleach blonde hair and black suit walk into the middle of the stage with a microphone in his hand. He was rather slender and had to be about 40 years-old.

"My name is Churchill, I'll be your new instructor for next few days for those of you who survive."

"Survive?" Some one asked

"Yes, starting tomorrow, we will begin a process to select the best of you, train you, and career as simple foot soldiers in war," he paused," To be a Spartan is to be warrior, one that willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Now, you will be given the chance to strike at Covenant, and deliver the killing blow."

Was this the career path Mendez talked about? It has to be, Darien did not jump into hell for his own enjoyment. A chance to fight, that all he ever want it. Churchill began to smile as children began to cheer at thought of fighting the monsters that destroy their homes so long ago.

"Get well rested," He said," there will be trying days ahead." Churchill left the stage and lights turn to several tents. Darien and Asra walk to the closest tent near the fence. Both slept on the mates next to each other.

"What you think will happen now?" Asra asked

"Well, we can finally be teammates like you always wanted."

Chapter 3: A game of choice

Year: 2537

Location: Onyx

The next day came much sooner than anyone expected. Churchill organize the children at the edge of the forest. Darien and Asra stood next to each other. Churchill hold up a metallic ball in his hand.

"I have a game for you young warriors to play," He shouted," It a simple game, each one of you with be given a metal detector and can work together or on your own. I will then give this ball to a carrier and first child or pair that returns will move on. Those that return after an hour past will be brought back to Camp Currahee, Mendez will decide your fate. You may use any tactics you have learned, take whatever necessary path needed. Even if it means killing another child."

Darien felt a hand held his, it was Asra. He look at her and quickly understood. We're brother and sister now, he said to himself, we're going to survive this. Men started to hand out detectors to the children. Churchill handed the ball to a man in a black uniform, and he jolt into the forest. The children rush into the forest, chasing their target. Darien and Asra chase after him until they lost sight of him. They then made a turn for some thick bushes and hide.

"Where you think he went?" Darien asked, whispering.

"I don't know," Asra said, looking up into the trees," Think you can climb this?"

Out of all the training they receive, parkour or freerunning was most enjoyable for Darien.

"Watch," He'd climb into the like a squirrel in the park. Then he climb down, slowly back into the bushes.

"I have an idea. You watch from above and scout ahead. I'll watch the ground and listen to anyone that passes by." Darien nodded and made three suggestion with his fingers. One count was a single child, two count was pair working together, and three count was their target. Asra nodded, moving deeper into bushes while Darien return to the treetop. They follow a limitless path of forest and bushes, ignoring the minor cuts from the branches and ones and twos. They soon came across a group of twos ( three in total) arguing over some situation.

"Let forget about this," One of child said,"I think this one of Mendez games."

"It can't be Hawk," Said an older boy with brown hair," Why would he send us out here."

"Cain, I look inside this detectors," said the third boy, and shortest of the three,"They have missing parts, this has to be a game."

"Vaas, 'this game' allow us kill each other doesn't sound like something Mendez would do."

The three boys stare at each other for while until Hawk through up his arms.

"It one of his games! It has to be. We need to be fighting the monsters not each other!"

Asra and Darien move far the group and into a patch of open grass. They disassemble the detectors to see if Vaas was telling the truth, he was. Parts like the battery were missing, was really just some game they cook up for them?

"It can't be..." Darien look at Asra, as if he was about to cry.

"Let focus on the mission." She said.

"But..."

"But nothing!," Asra jump to her feet, crying," they took my home, my mom. I have to fight!"

Darien got up, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen," he said, trying to calm his teammate down," game or not, we'll win. Mendez, Churchill, whatever, we have to win. This maybe a game of choice, testing us to see if we are soldiers they train us to be. There no more crying for us."

Asra stop crying and look at Darien. She wiped her tears and smile.

"No more crying, we have to win." she repeat his words.

"Now let fine our target and finish this mission." They return to their plan. Detector or not, they were going to win.

They finally found the man after hours of searching. He was tall, dark skin, and had about dozen scars on his face. He took out an centuries old pocket watch to check the time. He check the time with his right and held the ball in his left. He was in an open field large enough for a drop-ship to pick him up. Darien and Asra were only six feet away, hiding in the thick bush.

"He's in the middle, to far from the trees to attack from above." Darien whispered.

"It OK, we've won." Asra rush out into the field.

"Hey! Look over here!" She started waving her arms, gaining the man attention.

The man walk toward the one child he saw and not pay attention to the second one running from the right. The second kid tackle the man's legs, tripping him over. The kid then put all his body weight on the arm hold the ball.

"Now!" the kid yelled. The girl took notices and grab the ball. The boy jump off and together, they ran back into the forest with prize in hand.

"Interesting, very interesting." Churchill was back at the camp, watching the whole game from a monitoring room with other ONI personnel. Drones have been watching the children give up, return to the camp, and some even killed those they believe held the ball. Drinking his green tea, Churchill was amaze at both their resourcefulness and brutality.

"To tell these children to kill each and for them to take the bait. But it seems we have a winning team." He sip more of his tea. He got up and order the man who was the carrier to return to the camp. He walk out the room to find the winning team, panting and bleeding from cuts. The girl was carrying the boy.

"He's hurt and needs medical attention." She spoke.

Churchill motion for guards to take the boy to the med center. The girl try to follow but Churchill block her path.

"I want to congratulate you on your victory," he said,"you and the boy will be moving on to the next test."

The girl look up at Churchill, tired would not describe her condition. Her long black hair mangle, she had cuts and marks on her head, arms , and thighs. Yet she stood here, like as if nothing that just happen to her will compare to war that ahead. If her or the boy live long enough to see it end.

"Thank you sir,"she said,"but I need to check on my friend."

She walked around Churchill, following the path to the med center. She made in inside to find other children beaten and hurt. Darien was at far end of the center, stripe of his clothes a put in scrubs. The boy was fast asleep, the boy she started calling brother, the boy whom she partner with. The mate next to his was empty. There, she fell to sleep as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 4: Last School Day

Year: 2539

Location: Training grounds Raven's Peak, Onyx

"Come on, brother! You have to hit harder than that!" Asra said, now in her teens. She had grown taller than Darien over the past two years.

After Churchill's 'game', them and twelve other children were selected and move to a far off training camp known as Raven's Peak. Churchill and his ONI spooks began to dwindle the number of children, only leaving eight. Being assaulted with tests and intense interviews from Beta-5 Division, Asra and Darien were now a team. Churchill gave them the call sign of Misfit because the two were near inseparable since the time they arrive. It also wasn't that long ago that they went through augmentation process, while the process was painful and left the children in beds for few months, the outcome was worth it. Made their bones strong as steel, they ran faster than humanly possible, overall, they were the best the UNSC could make them. At this point in time, both were boxing, testing their new strength, in Raven's Peak gym room. They been boxing for about an hour, neither deliver a finishing blow.

"And you need to learn how to block better, sister." He said, throwing a round house punch.

She weaves, and made a return punch. Darien got hit full force in the gut and stumble back. He returns to a fighting stand when they heard clapping. It was Churchill and small group of officers. Asra and Darien stop and salute their superiors.

"At ease," Churchill said," I came to tell you both some good news."

To them, any news Churchill had was test or a lie.

"We'll begin the first months of real-world wartime insertions," he said, "your school training is nearly over."

"We'll finally given a chance to fight?" Asra asked.

"Against the Covenant, no," he answered, "this mission will prepare you for insertion."

"So when is the mission sir?" Darien asked.

"Within an hour," Churchill replied," Go the room T516 after your little sparing section is over."

They end their boxing section to prepare for the mission. Churchill announces that there will be one last game to play. The meeting was in one of the many debriefing room. Churchill set up a hologram, show a 35 year-old man with graying hair.

"He's a former United Rebel Front (URF) member, code name Jag, hiding on Paradise Fall," Churchill said," The planet is a criminal cesspool but also a meeting place for the various insurgent factions that still thrives on the border worlds. We believe he has intel about key URF leadership. "

"Is he still on the planet?" Asked redhead named Jalhiem. He was tallest of the six.

"If ONI reports are correct he will be in some apartments or hotel for about a year."

The Spartans started to chatter then quiet down as Churchill return to the subject of the game.

"Capture alive if possible, Churchill said, "All teams will be equip with weapons and trackers. You'll be leaving the next day. This is your last school day soldiers, from this point on you'll be headhunters."

Churchill dismisses the Spartans giving each team names. The Spartans got outfitted and gather weapons for the mission. 'Last school day, can you believe it?' 'Finally, we have no more training, an actual mission!' These were the conversations that went around the armory. Darien made his selection of weapons; BR55 Service Rifle and M7S sub machine gun. While Darien skills focus on close and middle range engagements, Asra was long range; using a SRS99C-S2 AM and M7S. Finally both carry combat knifes. With gear ready, the next day went by quickly. A Pelican took the teams to an UNSC frigate,_ Lost Memory_.

"To think this will be our first mission." Asra said.

"Well it not fighting Covenant, but it's a good start." Darien replied.

Darien took a cryo-sleep pod at the far end chamber, while Asra was a two down. Darien, for a flash of a second thought back to how the two meet. Both were now into their late teens, combat ready, and have been calling each other brother and sister for some time. Damn, Darien though, time did fly. The pod's door closed as the ship enters slipspace.

Chapter 5: First Mission

Year: 2539

Location: Lazy Acres, Paradise Falls

When Churchill said the planet was a cesspool, he was right. Infrastructure across most of the cities and towns was far below safety standards. Even its major city, which was above the rest of this hellhole, was nothing to be prideful of. The building were crumbling and streets flooded with feces

"I can see why rebels would hide out here." Darien said, sarcastically. He and Asra found an abandoned apartment, about 100 yards from Jag's hotel.

The teams have been in the city for months, tracking their target to local bar. They also add eight additional targets in total. There were men of various ethnicities and ages, mostly ranging from the ages of 20 to late 30s. Each team took pictures and sent them to ONI for analysis. The teams were on standby until the official order was given. Darien and Asra was on the rooftop of the apartment. Using the sniper's scope, Asra watch from afar as some kind of meeting was taking place. Jag and four targets sat in a semicircle in his room. The five men were smoking, gambling, unaware that they were being watch.

"Looks like a social meeting." Asra said.

"I can see that."

Asra took her eyes off the scope and narrow them at Darien. He shrugged and she returns watching the event.

"White-1," Darien said over a radio earpiece, "this is Misfit-2, any active from your direction." Team White was made up Jalheim and James. Both were redheads and excel at surveillance and monitoring. Their team was block away from Team Misfit location. They were checking the roads for other targets.

"Nothing on our end Misfit," White-1 (James) replied, "how the party on your end?"

"Boring to say the less."

"Hold up, got a van heading to the hotel, using the west road."

Darien grabs a pair of binoculars. The van was white and was moving fast. It stop at the hotel, a group of men came out the sides doors. Most had some kind of insignia that differentiate them from what groups they belong to. The men pour into the hotel, and then made their way upstairs to Jag's room. Jag open the door and social meeting turn into a more interesting event. Jag laid out a map on a table, discussing some kind of plan.

"Misfit, what's happening?" This time it was Ash-2 (Alex).

"Looks like the alliance showed up." replied Misfit-2

"Good," Ash-2 said," Just got word from ONI: capture Jag, kill the rest."

Darien picks up his M7S and tap Asra's shoulder. She heard the orders and nodded. Darien left the apartment and meet with White-2, Ash-1, and Snake-1 and 2. The group of Spartans meets in an alleyway behind the hotel. Opening one of the fire doors, the Spartans move fast up stairs, one took each level to make sure their target would not escape. This tactic left only Misfit-2 and Snake-2 to take care of capturing Jag or killing the remaining rebels.

"Want to do the honors Misfit-1?" Darien asked

"Gladly."

The heavy sniper rounds broke through the glass like hot knife cutting butter. Killing four targets before they took cover and return fire.

"Damn it! I knew we shouldn't have trust him!" Someone yelled.

"That ONI lapdog, he betrayed us!"

Misfit-2 and Snake-2 open the door and threw smoke screen. They rush into the room, killing anyone in their path. They found Jag hiding under a dead body and dragged him from the room. The man was in shock, crying and whimpering. Misfit-2 orders the remaining Spartans to meet at the van. By the time Misfit-2 and Snake-2 made it to the van, it was covered with bullet holes and White-2 was in the driver seat. They open the left side door and throw Jag inside. All Spartans team were inside as the van as it drove off to the rendezvous point. There, ONI agents took Jag into a separate Pelican. On board the_ Lost Memory_, Churchill congratulated each team. This mission would mark the last time any of the teams would see each other.

Team White lost all members only a year after the mission, attacking a Covenant warehouse. Team Ash lost all its members in the same year, classified, possible also Covenant. Misfit would return to Onyx. They spent the next following months of hunting down more URF members. Darien began to feel as if there was a game being played against him. Never the less, he and Asra made a perfect team. Both want nothing more than to fight against the Covenant, hoping for the day to come.

Chapter 6: History written by the survivors

Year: 2543

Location: Classified, Reach

"How does it feel?" One of the engineers asked.

"Odd." Darien replied.

Team Misfit was on Reach, in ONI testing site being fitted with their Semi-Powered Infiltration (SPI) armor. The armor was painted with dark gray coloring. Both of Misfit member look the same except that Misfit-1 (Asra) helmet, which the visor was "narrowed" in the shape of a V, fitting for her role as a sniper. The site had a number of officers and engineers. The head engineer, a 30ish year-old woman named Talon, begin as series of stress test on Misfit-2's armor. She was using a hand-held scanner.

"The armor fits perfectly soldier."

"No," said Darien," This first time we were given some good gear."

"Good gear?" Talon made a huff sound. Was she laughing? Darien turn his head and look at Asra, she shrugged.

"This is cheap crap soldier," Talon said," The MJOLNIR armor is the_ good gear_."

Darien heard of MJOLNIR armor. Only his predecessor, the Spartan-II and select few Spartan-III wore the armor. Sometime he would mentally curse at the fact ONI thought he wasn't good enough for the armor. He would push those thought aside this time, because up until now Team Misfit wore the same Basaltic Battle dress as the ODSTs. Them getting SPI means they would be done hunting rebels. More advances, suicidal mission were head of them. One of the ONI officers taps Talon's shoulder. She narrows her eyes and perform test on Asra. She nodded and told the Spartans their armor was clear for combat. Team Misfit left the site via elevator.

"What you do think about?" Darien asked Asra.

"Personally," She answered bluntly," I don't care, The UNSC need us to fight that all that matters."

"True."

"A better question," She was asking Darien," Do you think we can survive this war?"

"We haven't survived this long on sheer luck."

"That the thing, we're expandable to the UNSC."

"And you're telling something I already know."

"It's just," She took her thumb and rubs it on her helmet visor," I'm worried."

Darien laugh a little," We're going to survive, just like Winston Churchill said: history written by the survivors."

Asra laugh also," I believe he said it written by the victor brother."

"What if the victor is also the survivors, that how I see it."

"That's an odd way of seeing things."

"Well if we are expandable, we're buying Humanity time, being a pain in the enemy's ass, "He said," Who knows, maybe the survivors of mankind will write of the heroes who fought for them, sister."

Asra look at Darien with an understanding of what he was trying to say. She bites her lip and punch Darien's shoulder lightly. He did so in return.

"No matter what," Asra said, firmly," We're going to survive, brother."

Darien nodded as the elevator stop on the 12th floor and the Spartan walked into the room for their next mission.

The room had about seven monitors, a handful of officers, and a smart A.I. hovering over a holo table. There was a UNSCDF officer, a Navy captain. The captain was woman in her 40's; her red hair was tied into a stub ponytail. Her face was slender and long, her brown eyes and fair skin had her look contemporary to the Spartans. She was looking down at the table when the A.I. notices the commandos approach.

"Captain Lycett, we have visitors." The A.I. said with a Nordic accent. Lycett look up and motion the Spartans to move closer. The A.I. had an odd fusion of Viking look and UNSC dress uniform. War paint cover half his face and date flicker up and down his body. The Spartans stood at attention and salute the captain.

"At ease." Lycett's voice was strained. She walk around the table and tap it, a third dimensional hologram of a planet was shown, as well as flat image of the same planet on a monitor behind her.

"Glad to see the ONI accept my request and send me their finest," she said," frankly I thought this plan would be suicide with some needed insurance. Mercer tells these Spartans about the operation."

"For the past year or so, we been monitor Covenant active in a star system roughly 150 light years from their last attack, which was Battle of Psi Serpentis." The A.I stops and looks at the captain as if asking permission to continue to speak, Lycett nodded and Mercer continue. "ONI has commissioned the Navy to replicate the battle."

_What? _They trying to use gas giants as weapon? What Cole did was one trick pony, but knowing ONI and the state of the war any effective plan that can destroy large number Covenant ships, as outlandish as how this could turn the tides of war. Lycett saw the look the Spartan. She fully understands how ridiculous it sounds. This plan was suicidal no matter how you look at it. Silence fell on the group.

"What Mercer means," Lycett broke the silence," I will be leading a battle group, mostly frigates, to a nearby system. One of frigates will be remote controlled."

"Remote controlled sir?" Darien asked.

"Yes," She answers," Mercer will fragment himself, that fragment will control the frigate."

"Said frigate will be pack with nukes, similar to the yield Cole use in battle." Mercer injected.

"And what's our role in this operation?" Asra asked

"There a Covenant control planet with a massive relay station," Lycett said," we're commandeering that station and block any broad case signals. Covenant active in this system is high, so they'll notice our battle group but it we can redirect their attention…"

"Allow you time to place the frigate and jump out." Darien interjects. Lycett nodded and Mercer continues to explain the plan.

"It will take about two months to gather the battle group. In that time frame team Misfit will be inserting onto Tempest"

"Tempest?" Both Spartans asked.

"It's the planet designation," Mercer said," if this plan works and we can replicate Cole's tactic, we can destroy hundreds if not thousands of Covenant combat vessels by just sacrificing uninhabitable worlds."

The whole plan sound dangerous and complex. But if it worked… the idea of using one ship to bait and trap hundreds of the aliens war machine. This was a mission they been waiting for, the revenge both have been hoping. Darien and Asra look at each for a second and nodded, in complete agreement. This maybe a suicide mission, but they sure as hell will kick some teeth in by the time it over.

"It looks like you're both ready," Lycett said with a small smile," go onto floor 6, there an armory and take this." Lycett hand Darien a small data chip. "It contents another fragment of Mercer in case you can't use the alien relay station." Darien nodded, placing it inside a small pouch on his waistband. both Spartans walk back to the elevator.

They took the elevator to floor 6 which was full of UNSC weapon systems but each already made a mental choice. Darien was skilled marksman, preferring BR 55 Service Rifle over the M392 DMR. Though the M392 has better range but the three round burst and crowd control that the BR55 offer was superior. He took a M7S sub machine gun as a secondary. Asra took her usually build of SRS99C-S2 AM and MA5K Carbine, configure with a suppressor and for grip. Darien took out the chip and held it in his palm.

"What is it?" Asra asked.

"I think we finally got some good luck." He put the chip back into his waist pouch and proceeds to gather equipment and ammo.

The Spartans spent about two hours preparing for their mission when a female officer approached them. The officer told the Spartans that they will be spent in advance of the battle group and there was a stealth ship prepare for them on floor 8. They finish their preparation and arrive at floor 8. The crew of the ship was mostly ONI some turn to look at the Spartans and quickly return to work. The same officers that inform them also escort the Spartans to the cryo-sleep chambers inside the ship. Misfit finally has a mission to strike at the Covenant, a mission that would most likely lead to death.


End file.
